An ice dispenser has a storage hopper, a drive train system for delivering the ice and door mechanism for opening and permitting flow of ice and closing for stopping the flow of ice when the customers have received the quantity they expect. Through the history of ice and ice beverage dispensers, the door mechanism has been an area of concern. These concerns range from service issues caused by the number of cycles and large amounts of development time needed to create long lasting, service free mechanisms.
Typically door mechanisms on more widely accepted dispensers are electromechanical devices. A solenoid is energized, and linkage to a door causes the door to open or close. The life of the electric solenoid, the bearings of the linkage device and the number of parts which require time and skills and which introduce potentials for error during the assembly process have always been main concerns of the ice dispenser door mechanisms.